How to Cook Mussels
Buy the freshest mussels., Rinse them under cold running water., Pull out the stringy beard.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy the freshest mussels.
Purchase mussels from a market you trust.
You must only buy live mussels; look for shells that are tightly closed.
Discard any mussels that have opened upon taking them out at home, or any mussels with cracked shells.
Remember that any mussels that do not open after you cook them should be discarded
-- this means that they were already dead before you started cooking them. -
Step 2: Rinse them under cold running water.
Scrub the shells to remove any seaweed, dirt or other particles lodged on the shell.
Rinse each shell individually, trying to remove as many of the stringy parts as you can. , To debeard each mussel, just pinch the beard with your thumb and index finder and use a side to side motion to firmly tug it out.
The beard isn't harmful and it is edible, just not particularly tasty, so don't fret if you can't debeard all of the mussels.
Some of the mussels may have already had their beards removed, so don't worry if not every mussel has a beard.
You can also use a knife to cut off the beard. -
Step 3: Pull out the stringy beard.
Detailed Guide
Purchase mussels from a market you trust.
You must only buy live mussels; look for shells that are tightly closed.
Discard any mussels that have opened upon taking them out at home, or any mussels with cracked shells.
Remember that any mussels that do not open after you cook them should be discarded
-- this means that they were already dead before you started cooking them.
Scrub the shells to remove any seaweed, dirt or other particles lodged on the shell.
Rinse each shell individually, trying to remove as many of the stringy parts as you can. , To debeard each mussel, just pinch the beard with your thumb and index finder and use a side to side motion to firmly tug it out.
The beard isn't harmful and it is edible, just not particularly tasty, so don't fret if you can't debeard all of the mussels.
Some of the mussels may have already had their beards removed, so don't worry if not every mussel has a beard.
You can also use a knife to cut off the beard.
About the Author
Isabella Long
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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